Slot closure



JAMES o.

Patenta& i Aug. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WOODSON, OF

MANSFIELZQ OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO WESTNGHOUSE ELEGTBIC 86 MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, A CORPOBATION OF PENNSYLVANIA SLOT CLOS'URE Application filedFebruary 28, 1931.

My invention relates to horizontal-chamber heat-treating furnaces of theendless overhead-conveyor type and more particularly to means forscaling the top Slots in such furnaces.

An object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple andeflicient slot-closure means for the top slot of a furnace.

In practicing my invention, I provide, in cooperation with an endlessconveyor chain having depending material-supporting rods secured theretoand moving in the top slot of a furnace, a plurality ofpivotally-mounted plates extending laterally of the slot and moved asidein sequence by the material-supporting rods against a resilient meanswhich returns the plates to their initial slot-closing positions.

In the single sheet of drawing,

Figure 1 is a View, in vertical lateral section, through ahorizontal-chamber conveyortype :Eurnace with which is associated thedevice embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of r' the devce embodying myinventon,

Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, of a modified form of deviceembodying my inveni tion r Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, in verticalsection, of a still further modification of a device embodying myinvention,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of two pairs of cooperating plates inFigs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have there illustratecl a furnacestructure 11,built up on a concrete base 12 and including a floor 13,side walls 14 and 16 and root-wall portions 17 and 18, which may bebuilt up of a plurality of bricks or blocks of a suitable refractoryhigh-temperature resisting material, usually employed for such purposes.The walls enclose a furnace chamber19 and the root-wall portions 17 and18 are solocated as to leave open a slot 21 therebetween which extendslongitudinally of the horizon tal-chamber furnace structure.

A skeleton `metal frame includes vertical of the kind shown' Serial No.518,930.

structural steel members 22 and 23 and upper cross-bar members 24, itbeing understood that these members are spaced apart suitable distancesalong the furnace structure in order to provide afurnace-structurebracing framework, as well as a support for otherelements to be hereinafter described.

Heating means for the furnace chamber 19 may include electric heatingelements 26 and 27, suitably supported by the side walls 14: and 16.

I desire, however, that it be understood that, while I have illustratedand described a specific embodiment of such furnace elements, myinvention is not restricted thereto and that these elements,illustratecl generally only, are shown for illustrative purposes, andthat the device embodying my invention is applicable to other urnacestructures which may be efiectve for the same general purpose. i

Means :tor moving material through the furnace chamber 19 includes anendless conveyor chain 28 which is movably Suspended from the support bycarriages 29 running on track sections 31 and 32 in the shape of anglebars, supported by auxiliary portions of the skeleton frame structure ofwhich a specific embodiment is shown in the shape of vertical members 33and 34: and short cross braces 36 and 37.

Material-supporting means include a plurality of spaced rods 38 securedto the chain 28, depending therefrom and moving in the slot 21. Crossbars 39 are secured to the respective rods 38 and have hooks 41 todirectly support material to be heat-treated.

As it is apparent that the ends of the furnace chamber 19 must be openin order to permit the continuously moving conveyor to move materialinto, through and out of the furnace chamber, a large amount of hot airmay flow upwardly through the slot 21, thereby reducing the eiiiciencyof the furnace installations.

In order to prevent this, I provide two sets of opposing plates 42 and13 which are pivotally mounted above the root-wall portions 17 and 18and intermediate their ends, as by suitable bolts 44 and 46, one ;toreach plate.

The bolts 44 and 46 may extend through the plates 42 and 43,respectively, and into longitudinally extending metal members 47 and 48defining a part of the upper side walls enclosing the slot 21, as shownmore particularly in F ig. 1 of the drawing.

The inner encls of the plates 42 and 43 are located in abutting orslightly overlapping relation (see Fig. 6), and the plates themselvesnay be located either in abutting relation or, preferably, inoverlapping relation at each side. Means for yieldingly holding theplates on each side in their normal positions, for permitting a turn'-ngmovement en their` respective pivots and for returning them to theirnormal positions is constituted by an 'open h'elical spring 49associated with theplates '42 and a similar helical spring 51 associatedwith the plates 43. Each of the plates is provided with, say, an opening52 at its edge and a link With the -cooperati-ng helical springs insubstan-tially the manner shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Fig. 2 *of the 'drawing illustrates the movenent of the respectiveplates 42 and 43 coinci-dent with the movement of 'a dependingmateri:Ll-supporting rod 38 therebetween, it being noted that one pair'of plates 42 and 43 has been turned through a relatively large angleand that ;portions 'of the respective springs 49 and 51 have beendeformed so tha-t a succeeding pair of plates 42 and 43 which has justbeen disengaged from the TOCl38 wi l l not be 'permitted to return'insta''taneo'uslyto the normal position, as shown at the lefthand-endof Fig. 2 of the drawing.

*Referring more particularly to Fig. -3 of thedrawing, I have thereillustratedcooperating-plates 56 and 57 located 'inside-by-si'deabu'tt-ing or overlapping re lation, each plate being pivotally mountedtor -turning movement in its own plane on a bolt 58. Helical spri'ngs59'and-6l are located adjacent' to the outer 'end portions of the plates`56 and -57, links 62 connecting the respective springs` to theindividual p'la'tes 56 and '57, insubstantial-ly the same manner ashereina-fter set forth in :connection with the elements shown in Fig. 2ofthe drawing. It is obvious that the plates 56 and 57, the lengths ofwhich extend angularly over the slot, 'instead of directly at rightangles laterally thereto, Will not be moved through such large angles'on the respective :pivots 58.

Referring now to Figs. -4 and 5 'of 'the drawing, I have thereillustrated root-wall portions 63'and64 in lateral sectiomthe 'roofwallportion 63 extending slightly higher than does the portion 64 andhavinganover hanging lip "66 to provide a shoulder portion having 'anangle-bar member 67 'adjacent to itsipper surface.

A rail 68 is suitabl-y -secured at the :top of root-'wall portion 64,and relatively narrow 53 connects the platesplates 69 are pivotallymounted in side-by'- side relation on the rail 68, as by means of bolts71. The respective plates 69 extend angularly across the slot 21 andhave their inner ends spring-pressed against the angle bar 67 by helicalsprings 72, the individual spaced portions of which are connected, bylinks 73., to the outer ends of the plates 69. Normally, the plates 69will be located in side-by-side or in parallel-extending overlappingrelation, as shown in a portion of Fig. 5, .and when amaterial-supporting rod 38 moves along the lip 66, which may be faced bya metal plate 74, the respective plates 69 will be moved forwardly andgiven a turning movement, the spring '7 2 permitting this and efl'ectingreturn of the plates to their normal paralle l-extending positions inwhich the inner ends 'extend over the lip :66 to substantially close theslot and thereby prevent outfiow of heated air therethrough.

The device embodying any invention thus provides a relatively simple andetficient seazlc losure means for the horizontal-ehamber heat-treatngfurnace havinga slot in its roof wall.

V arious modifications may be made ;my invention without departing fromthe spirit and scope thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only suchlimitations shall be placed thereon -as are imposed by the prior .art&rare set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my inventi on:

l. In a hori-zontal chamber heat-treating furnace having a 'longitudinalslot in its 'rootwa ll,-an endless conveyor chain moving above saidslot, and spaced material-supporting rods depending from 'the chain andmoving in the slot, a slot-closure means including pivotally-mountedoverlapping plates above the's'lot to be moved aside by a depending rod,and resilient means for yieldingly holding the plates in normaloperative positions and for returning them thereto .after movementthereof by a depending rod.

2. In a horizontal-chamber heattreat'ing fu-rnace having a longitudinalslot in 'it-s root-wall, an endless conveyor chain moving abovesaidslot, and spaced material-supporting =rods depending from .thechainiand moving in the slot, a slot-closure means including relativelynarrow pivotally-mounted plates extending laterally over the slot and;having their sides overlapping each other to be moved aside by thedepending :rods in passing through the slot, and resilient means :on theplates for yieldingly holdingthem in normal operative positions and forreturning them thereto after movement thereof by a depending rod.

Ina horizontal-chamber heat treating furnace having a longitudinal slotin its ronf- Wall, an endless conveyor chain moving above said slot, and:spaced material-supporting rods depending from the chain and moving inthe slot, a slot-closure means including relatively narrow platesoverlapping at their sides 'and eXtending laterally over the slot,`means for pivotally mountng each plate in-- termediate its ends at oneside of the slot on the root-Wall, and resilient means on the plates foryieldingly holding them in their normal operative positions and forreturning them thereto after movement thereof by a depending rod.

4. In a horizontal-chamber heat-treating furnace having a longitudinalslot in its roofwall, an endless conveyor chain moving above said slot,and spaced material-supporting rods depending from the chain and movngin the slot, a slot-closure means including relatively narrow platesoverlapping at their sides and extending laterally over the slot, meansfor pivotally mounting` each plate intermediate its ends at one side ofthe slot and on the root-Wall, whereby a depending rod engages theplates adjacent to one end thereof in succession to turn them aside, andresili-ent means engaging the other end of each plate to yieldingly holdthem in normal operative positions and to return them thereto aftermovement thereof by a depending rod.

5. In a horizontal-chamber heat-treating furnace having a. longitudnalslot in its root- Wall, an endless conveyor chain movng above said slot,and spaced material-supporting rods depending from the chain and movingin the slot, a slot-closure means including overlapping narrow plateseXtending substantially laterally over the slot and engaged adj acent toone end thereof bya depending moving rod, means for pivotally mountingeach plate intermediate its ends on the roof- Wall, and a h-elicalspring loosely securecl to the other end 'of each 'plate to yieldinglyhold it in normal operative position and to return it thereto afterpivotal movement thereof by a moving depending rocl.

6. In a horizontal-chamber heat-treating furnace having a longitudinalslot in its roof- Wall, an endless conveyor chain moving above saidslot, and spaced material-supporting rods depending from the chain andmoving in the slot, a slot-closure means including two sets ofrelatively narrow plates extending laterally over the slot in oppositedirections with their adj acent inner ends in substantially abuttingrelation, means for pivotally mounting each plate intermediate its endson the roofwvall, the pivotal mountings for each set being on oppositesides of the slot, and a helical spring Secured to the plates of eachset at the outer ends thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my'name this 14 day ofFebruary,

JAMES C. WOODSON.

